Even Scalia Opposes Flag-Burning Amendment

Posted on Jun 23, 2006

The arch-conservative Supreme Court justice is quoted in this Jonathan Alter column as saying that banning flag-burning would “[dilute] the very freedom that makes this emblem so revered.?Mr. President, when you find yourself to the right of Antonin Scalia, you’ve crossed over into crazy town.

MSNBC:

The flag-burning amendment, which already passed the House, is apparently just short of the 67 needed in the Senate. With one or two absences, the amendment would be approved. It would then go to the states for ratification, where its chances for approval appear good.

On the Republican side, all senators except Robert Bennett of Utah, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky favor the amendment. The rest (including those who should know better, like John McCain and Chuck Hagel) are apparently in favor of trivializing the document they swore to uphold. Banning flag burning, in the words of Justice Antonin Scalia, ?dilutes the very freedom that makes this emblem so revered.?